Abstract

The goal of this research is to provide a better scientific understanding of carbon cycle processes within an agricultural landscape characteristic of the Upper Midwest. This project recognizes the need to study processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales to reduce uncertainty in ecosystem and landscape-scale carbon budgets to provide a sound basis for shaping future policy related to carbon management. Specifically, this project has attempted to answer the following questions: 1. Would the use of cover crops result in a shift from carbon neutral to significant carbon gain in corn-soybean rotation ecosystems of the Upper Midwest? 2. Can stable carbon isotope analyses be used to partition ecosystem respiration into its autotrophic and heterotrophic components? 3. Can this partitioning be used to better understand the fate of crop residues to project changes in the soil carbon reservoir? 4. Are agricultural ecosystems of the Upper Midwest carbon neutral, sinks, or sources? Can the proposed measurement and modeling framework help address landscape-scale carbon budget uncertainties and help guide future carbon management policy?

@article{osti_953627,
title = {Technical Report: Investigation of Carbon Cycle Processes within a Managed Landscape: An Ecosystem Manipulation and Isotope Tracer Approach},
author = {Griffis, Timothy J and Baker, John M and Billmark, Kaycie},
abstractNote = {The goal of this research is to provide a better scientific understanding of carbon cycle processes within an agricultural landscape characteristic of the Upper Midwest. This project recognizes the need to study processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales to reduce uncertainty in ecosystem and landscape-scale carbon budgets to provide a sound basis for shaping future policy related to carbon management. Specifically, this project has attempted to answer the following questions: 1. Would the use of cover crops result in a shift from carbon neutral to significant carbon gain in corn-soybean rotation ecosystems of the Upper Midwest? 2. Can stable carbon isotope analyses be used to partition ecosystem respiration into its autotrophic and heterotrophic components? 3. Can this partitioning be used to better understand the fate of crop residues to project changes in the soil carbon reservoir? 4. Are agricultural ecosystems of the Upper Midwest carbon neutral, sinks, or sources? Can the proposed measurement and modeling framework help address landscape-scale carbon budget uncertainties and help guide future carbon management policy?},
doi = {10.2172/953627},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = 2009,
month = 6
}

A comprehensive, merged data set of trace gases (NO, NO 2, CO 2, CH 4 and O 3) along with has been tabulated and subjected to meticulous quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). The merged data set is being submitted to the ARM website dedicated to the Green Ocean Experiment: https://www.arm.gov/research/campaigns/amf2014goamazon Analysis using the final data set is in progress to determine the magnitudes of the fluxes for CH 4, H 2O, CO 2, O 3, NO x, sensible and latent heat, momentum, and their seasonal variations. Here are summary statements, from the discussion above: Total NO fluxes were calculatedmore » following Keller et al., 1986. A vertical gradient is established in the mixing ratio of NO because it is emitted at the soil surface and mixed upward in the atmosphere (see above). Once in the atmosphere, the NO reacts rapidly with O 3 to produce NO 2 (NO + O 3 → NO 2 + O 2). Therefore, if the vertical profiles of the mixing ratios of NO and O 3 are known, the surface flux of NO may be determined. If any other reaction removes NO (e.g., deposition on leaves), FNO should estimate the lower limit to the NO flux from the soil in this forest. Our preliminary results show fluxes of NO averaged 133 x 10 9 molecules cm -2 s -1, a factor of 4 higher than fluxes previously observed in white sand soils in the Amazon, and a factor of 3 to 14 higher than fluxes observed for yellow clay soils (Bakwin et al., 1990 and references therein). The soil in the km 67 site is predominately oxisol with pockets of sandy ultisols, both having low reduced nutrient contents, mostly due to efficient microorganism decomposition and acid leaching by rain water. Oxisols contain both oxidized and reduced forms of nitrogen, of which concentrations vary independently of leaching (Jordan et al., 1982), with most part of the cycling processes occurring in the top layers. Methane fluxes showed no statistical difference between 2015 wet and dry seasons, and the forest at this site appear to be a methane sink throughout the year. The vertical profiles suggest that if a methane source exists in this forest, it might be in the canopy. Next steps include modeling and analysis using the Master Chemical Mechanism (Jenkin et al., 1997; Saunders et al., 2003 (A/B); http://mcm.leeds.ac.uk/MCM/) and the Ecosystem Demography-2 (ED-2) model. A final manuscript with the results from this work is in preparation and expected to be submitted for publication within the next several months. Publications to date are listed below.« less

The Phase II studies of the R4D Program on stream and watershed ecology reflect the accomplishments and accumulation of baseline information obtained during the past studies. Although our rough estimates indicate that nitrogen inputs to the watershed ba lance losses, the carbon fluxes suggest that they are not in equilibrium and that there is a net loss of carbon from the tundra ecosystem through respiration and transport out of the watershed via the stream system. Radiocarbon profiles of soil sections coupled with mass transport calculations revealed that peat accumulation has essentially ceased in the R4D watershed and appears to bemore » in ablative loss. Thus the carbon flux measurements provide validation tests for the PLANTGRO and GAS-HYDRO models of the PHASE II studies. These findings are also important in the context of global CO[sub 2] increases from positive feedback mechanisms in peatlands associated with climatic warming in the subarctic regions.« less

This proposal requests funding for the completion of our current ecological studies at the MS-117 research site at Toolik Lake, Alaska. We have been using a mix of stable and radioisotope techniques to assess the fluxes of carbon and nitrogen within the ecosystem and the implications for long-term carbon storage or loss from the tundra. Several tentative conclusions have emerged from our study including: Tundra in the foothills is no longer accumulating carbon. Surficial radiocarbon abundances show little or no accumulation since 1000--2500 yrs BP. Coastal plain tundra is still accumulating carbon, but the rate of accumulation has dropped inmore » the last few thousand years. Carbon export from watersheds in the Kuparuk and Imnavait Creek drainages are in excess of that expected from estimated primary productivity; and Nitrogen isotope abundances vary between species of plants and along hydrologic gradients.« less